Trans Am Mustang Reborn as Vintage Racer is Incredibly Badass!
After a short but illustrious racing career, this ’68 Mustang is getting a well-deserved second chance at life.
Ford’s iconic Mustang and Trans Am racing formed what was essentially a shooting star. The pairing came out hot and heavy, drawing massive interest from the public. But when Trans Am participants slowly evolved into more race cars than street cars, folks began to lose interest. And yet, cars like the Boss 302 still hold our imagination today. As do original racers like this – the Hinchcliff/Ross 1968 Trans-Am Mustang, recently featured over at Hot Rod.
Even though Ed Hinchcliff was a Ford Motor Company engineer by trade, he raced in Trans Am as an independent from 1966 to 2003. But that doesn’t mean his long career was hampered by the lack of factory support. You see, Hinchcliff was in the know when it came to Ford and Kar Kraft’s factory racing efforts, and he was also a member of the Blue Oval’s Special Vehicle Operations outfit.
This 1968 Mustang was Hinchcliff’s very first Trans Am racer, a car that helped set up his highly successful career. He campaigned this particular car for two seasons, making 10 appearances in Grand American, NASCAR GT, and SCCA Trans Am races. He then sold the car to a man named Steve Ross, moving up to a 1970 Mustang Boss 302. The ’68 went on to make the 1970 SCCA National Run-Offs at Daytona Beach before heading to Mexico for for some Pan American Road Races.
The ’68 Mustang eventually made its way back to the U.S., changing hands a couple of times. It finally landed in the possession of JBA Speed Shop’s J. Bittle, who proceeded to restore the car to its former glory. But instead of propping it up in some museum, he regularly participates in vintage racing series. And truthfully, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Photos: Hot Rod
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